Galveston Bay Foundation protects natural resources

By FLORI MEEKS, CHRONICLE CORRESPONDENT

Published
2:25 pm CDT, Tuesday, September 20, 2011

PIN LIM PHOTOS: FOR THE CHRONICLE
LABOR OF LOVE: Residents in San Leon removed oyster gardening bags from their piers and placed the live, gardened oysters on several adjacent constructed reef pads in an effort to expedite colonization by oysters. less

PIN LIM PHOTOS: FOR THE CHRONICLE
LABOR OF LOVE: Residents in San Leon removed oyster gardening bags from their piers and placed the live, gardened oysters on several adjacent constructed reef pads in an effort ... more

Photo: Pin Lim

Photo: Pin Lim

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PIN LIM PHOTOS: FOR THE CHRONICLE
LABOR OF LOVE: Residents in San Leon removed oyster gardening bags from their piers and placed the live, gardened oysters on several adjacent constructed reef pads in an effort to expedite colonization by oysters. less

PIN LIM PHOTOS: FOR THE CHRONICLE
LABOR OF LOVE: Residents in San Leon removed oyster gardening bags from their piers and placed the live, gardened oysters on several adjacent constructed reef pads in an effort ... more

Photo: Pin Lim

Galveston Bay Foundation protects natural resources

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As the new director of development for the Galveston Bay Foundation, Sharon Roark spends a lot of time telling others what the nonprofit organization does to protect the natural resources of Galveston Bay.

So it was especially exciting for her last Saturday when she got to see one of the foundation's key efforts - oyster reef restoration - as it took place.

Roark joined community volunteers in San Leon Sept. 17 as they removed oyster gardening bags from their piers and placed the baby oysters within them on reef pads constructed by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.

"Riding in the boat, observing the captain locate the reef, and watching our volunteers and Galveston Bay Foundation and Texas Parks and Wildlife staff throw the oysters overboard onto the reef was a real thrill for me," said Roark, who commutes to the foundation's offices in Webster from Spring Branch.

Community effort

The oyster reef restoration project site is five acres and extends along the north shore of Eagle Point. The project was the culmination of a summer's worth of efforts in several bay-area communities, foundation conservation specialist Tiffany Anders said.

The bags volunteers hang from their piers contained reclaimed oyster shells - a safe haven for oyster larva that is free-flowing in the bay during the summer.

"All of this larva is looking for a hard surface to land on, and the shells provide that," Anders said

Volunteers monitor the growth of the baby oysters, called spat, and remove predators – algae and crabs – from the bags.

On Sept. 17, they opened the bays for the last time and sprinkled the baby oysters on five acres of reef pads.

Because these reefs are within 200 feet of the shoreline, these oysters are not for consumption, Anders said, but they will contribute to water quality, habitat creation and shoreline protection.

Anders estimates that volunteers placed a total of 5,000 oysters on reefs in San Leon, Bayview and Kemah this year.

The San Leon volunteers were joined on the 17th by representatives from Dow Chemical, a foundation partner, and Deer Park High School students creating a video of the day's events.

"Everyone has been so enthusiastic about this project," Roark said. "I topped the day off with stopping by Hillman's Seafood Market for some fresh shrimp from the bay, which was a real treat."